California redistricting: What to know about the final maps

This is a modified version of the original story by CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal for use in classrooms.

California voters have the brand-new districts they’ll use to elect members of Congress and state legislators, after a state commission voted to approve its final maps. 

These districts took effect with the June 2022 primaries and will continue for the next decade.  

Redistricting happens once every 10 years, after every census, to ensure that each district has the same number of people. In the past it was done by the state’s political leaders. This is the second time it was instead done by a 14-member independent commission. This second effort was different from the last redistricting due to advances in technology and social media. Advocacy groups and others can now submit their own maps and respond to mapping decisions in real time on Twitter. As they did live line-drawing, commissioners referenced these maps, along with the feedback they were getting. 

The commission must ensure that no minority group’s vote is drowned out. It isn’t supposed to weigh partisan politics. In some cases, it puts incumbents into the same district, or forces others to appeal to new voters to be re-elected. That could help shift the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans in Washington.  

Commission chairperson Alicia Fernández acknowledged that there were disagreements along the way. However, she said she was proud of the commission’s work. “There was robust discussion in terms of how these maps should be drawn. We know that not everyone will be happy, but I feel that they are fair maps for Californians,” she said. 

California Common Cause, which pushed to create the independent panel, also defended the commission. “While the process was at times messy, it was an exercise in democracy done in public.” During the process, there were 150 meetings and more than 36,000 public comments. 

Trying to meet all the criteria in a state with California’s diverse population and geography made redistricting difficult. The criteria includes equal population, Voting Rights Act compliance, communities of interest and compact districts. 

Political dominos quickly started toppling after the maps were approved. 

For instance, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia quickly said he wants the seat now occupied by Democratic Rep. Alan Lowenthal. Lowenthal announced he won’t seek re-election in 2022. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of Downey, who in 1992 became the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress, announced that she is retiring after her current term after she was redrawn into the same district where Mayor Garcia is running. 

The growing power of Latino voters, and recognizing that in the new maps, has been a constant theme of the redistricting process. A projected 16 of the 52 House districts have a Latino voting-age population of at least 50%, according to a new Public Policy Institute of California study. That number used to be 10 of 53. 

Pablo Rodriguez, founding executive director of the Communities for New California Action Fund, noted that in the Central Valley there are three new congressional districts with more than 50% Latino voters. 

“For the Central Valley the outstanding question will be: Will the new Latino majority districts create the environment for the first Latino/a congressional representative to be elected to Congress within the next ten years?” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Confidently, I say yes to not just one, but likely three.” 

In addition, 22 of the 80 new state Assembly districts and 10 of the 40 state Senate districts have majority Latino voting populations, the PPIC study says. 

However, former redistricting consultant Tony Quinn warned that some of the new maps could disadvantage Latino candidates, such as the district that pairs eastern San Jose with Salinas. “It didn’t seem to me that the map needed to be torn up the way it is,” he said. “They way overdid it, especially in L.A. County.” 

Activism led to maps that include two majority Asian-American districts. The maps also include 16 “influence” districts, where Asian Americans make up 30% or more of eligible voters. However, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus also said it will continue to work for fair and accessible elections and to increase engagement.   

For African American voters, however, the new maps mean there are still no Black-majority districts. However, there are two new “influence” districts, where the Black voting-age population is at least 30%. 

James Woodson, policy director for the California Black Census and Redistricting Hub, said the fight for Black political power in California is far from over. “Census and redistricting is sort of a two-part fight,” he said. “First, it’s making sure that resources came to our community and making sure they had an opportunity to win political power. Now, it’s about getting out the vote in 2022 and the long-term policy pieces that are moving.” 

Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community said the maps include big victories across California. In the Assembly map, bringing Hollywood and West Hollywood together gives the community a chance to elect a representative from the community, said Samuel Garrett-Pate, managing director of external affairs with Equality California. 

Closing out their review of the maps was an emotional moment for some commissioners. 

“I’m so proud of the work that together we have completed to serve all Californians. Despite a difference of opinion at times, there was always commitment to our common goal — to the goal of creating representative and fair maps for all Californians,” commissioner Pedro Toledo said.